In semiconductor manufacturing, automatic test equipment (ATE) is used to test integrated circuit (IC) devices, e.g., to characterize electrical properties, detect abnormalities, and evaluate product quality. During testing operations, stimulus signals are generated and provided to devices under test (DUTs) and the resultant output signals generated from the DUTs are evaluated against the expectated values.
A test on modern electronic devices may involve a complex sequence of operations. For example, to verify if a radio frequency (RF) transceiver chip in a global system for mobile communication (e.g., GSM) can respond properly to a stimulation signal, a test on the chip may include the following operations, for instance:                sending a −20 dBm, 850 MHz, GSM signal to the “LNA” pin of the chip;        waiting for 2 ms;        capturing 1024 points with a sampling frequency (FS) of 1 MHz at the “BB” pin of the chip;        supplying a DC (direct current) voltage of 3V in “VDD” pin of the chip;        measuring a voltage at “Vref” pins of the chip; and        capturing 100 samples in the “DPO” pin of the chip.        
Traditionally, two approaches can be used to control the diagnostic instruments on an ATE and implement such a test. In the so-called “CPU-Controlled test” approach, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an engineer or another type of user generates code (e.g., a script or a software program) using an high-level language Application Programming Interface (API) based on the debug tool and the operating environment running on a work station. The code is interpreted as commands to be executed by the ATE to carry out the sequence of operations above. The commands are then transmitted via a bus between the work station and the ATE in real-time during a test procedure. Thus, the ATE (through one or more of its diagnostic instruments) performs the sequence of test operations based on the commands.
In the so-called “Pattern-Controlled test” approach, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a user generates a list of commands on the work station, typically through a graphical user interface (GUI), for configuring various components of the ATE. The commands are then downloaded to a pattern controller in the ATE prior to a test. The pattern controller aligns the commands so that the various ATE components involved in the tests can operate in proper timing as specified in the commands. During the test, the aligned commands will be implemented by a test processor in each of the test instruments.
The CPU-Controlled test approach allows a user to easily program and debug a test. However, because commands have to be transmitted to the ATE via a bus during a test, the limited bandwidth of the bus may cause data traffic congestion and negatively impact test time and reliability.
By comparison, the Pattern-Controlled test approach is faster and more reliable. However, a user has to use a software tool to configure a test, typically through multiple graphical user interfaces (GUI) windows that are respectively directed to different aspects of the test. The user has to be well versed in miscellaneous lower level subsystem commands and provides input through various GUI windows, which makes the setup and debug of the test very difficult.